Last Christmas
by eNough89
Summary: Two songs that inspired me to write a quick fic for JIBBS. Forgot to post it during December but here it is. 'She heard a song and made the call but then heard the message...'
1. Chapter 1

**In the states, waiting on the winter storm that is supposed to be coming my way. I forgot to upload this months ago and thought why not now, it is cold. Enjoy and I hope you are all comfortable wherever you might be.**

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**I read a title that made me think of 'So this is Christmas' by John Lennon and this is what came to me. I also use 'Last Christmas' by Wham. **

**I'm still working on my other stories.**

**I do not own NCIS only an over active imagination and the love of music.**

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Agent Jennifer Shepard sat on a crappy seat of the airport as she waited for her flight to depart. Her body ache and her mind was running thinking of every scenario that could go wrong but the song playing over the airport speakers helped her slow down.

It was Christmas or that is what she saw around her all of a sudden. The shops decorated in wreathes and garlands, ornaments of every color, stockings and Christmas lights… yes it was Christmas.

Another year over and here she was once again in an airport, waiting to head to her next assignment. Jennifer let herself slump a little in her chair as she slid down it only slightly, her body needing rest.

Christmas had stopped meaning something to her a long time ago. Even before her father past, Christmas was not something the Shepard household celebrated. She let herself remember though, their Christmas in Paris a year ago. A smile appeared in her face as she remembered the snow, the lights, the feeling of complete happiness. Her smile soon faded though as she heard the song come to an end.

A New Year without any fear… she only ever felt fear, especially because of her job. Even with 'him' she felt fear. Fear of being rejected, fear in being hurt, fear in being betrayed, fear in being left behind…

The war can be over if you want it to, the song told her and as she sat in the airport alone, she realized she wanted the war to be over. She wanted to return home, to stop feeling scared and just take a chance. She grabbed her small backpack and ran to the nearest store, buying a long distance call card and getting quarters for change. She searched for a payphone and was glad to see one not far away from her terminal.

As she dialed the number she had ingrain in her mind years ago, she hoped he would answer. But as the phone rang and the answer machine picked up, she knew it was too late.

"_Hi, you have called Jethro and Stephanie Gibbs; we're not home right now but leave a message after the beep_." Jennifer let her head fall to the wall behind her as she let tears slowly fall down her eyes. She was too late and ironically the world knew it too.

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**\- Hours later**

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Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs was not having the greatest day, he had come home once in the past twenty four hours and his wife of almost six months was already breathing down his throat. As he opened his door, which was locked because of his wife, he made his way in. Taking his keys out of his pocket and his change as well and dropping it off on the bowl that was on the side table beside his door.

He made his way to the kitchen, finding it empty and wondered where Stephanie was. He moved towards the room, ready to take a shower and change but the blinking light in the answering machine stopped him. He went over, pressing the play button and waiting on the cassette to rewind and play the message once more.

"_Hi, you have called Jethro and Stephanie Gibbs; we're not home right now but leave a message after the beep_." He heard Stephanie said and he wondered when had she changed the message but he stopped when he heard the message… actually not a message at all only the low song of 'Last Christmas' by Wham. He found himself on the floor beside the recorder and let himself listen to the song and the memories of the last Christmas in Paris a year ago.

"Happy Christmas, Jethro," he heard her whispered and then the dial tone.

"Merry Christmas, Jenny," he whispered to her from his spot on the floor. Not realizing that the first thing that popped in his mind when he heard Christmas was not of his decease wife and daughter but of the woman he let walk out of his life months ago.

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**Review if you have a quick minute.**

**So this is Christmas- John Lennon**

**Last Christmas- Wham**

**I own neither the songs that inspired this story or NCIS.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Was inspired to write another chapter of this and went searching for Christmas songs. Paul McCartney, '**_**Wonderful Christmas Time'**_** was the inspiration for this chapter as well as '**_**Do they know its Christmas**_**' by Band Aid (1984) and '**_**Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree**_**' by Brenda Lee which only makes a very small appearance. **

**I do not own NCIS or the songs used as inspiration.**

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**Years later**

It had been a few years since Jenny had realized that Christmas existed at all. Egypt had been difficult, working with Mossad had been difficult… being in a foreign land when your home country was being under attack had been difficult.

She would stay up many nights wishing she had a partner she could confide in and trust with everything she had but she knew she had walked away from that.

She looked around and blinked away her tears as she tried not to remember her last true Christmas in Paris. A green skinny Christmas tree that had seen better days, ornaments that caused the branches to lean down, colored lights that would stay on through the night…

She wiped away her tears as she tried to let go… let go the way he had only months after they had ended. It still caused her heart to ache when she remembered the phone call she had made the following year.

_Hi, you have called Jethro and Stephanie Gibbs; we're not home right now but leave a message after the beep._

She let more tears fall as she realized that maybe Paris was nothing at all to him. If he could move on only months later… she wished she could do the same, to let go and to forget but she couldn't. He had been her world, he had been the one she gave her heart to… and he didn't care.

"Are you okay?" Asked a voice from in front of her, she lifted her head to see a hand with some tissues. She gave a nod and accepted it. She glanced up and down at him but said nothing. He had done the same earlier, seeing her from afar and wondering what had caused her tears. He sat besides her saying nothing.

"How many people do you think actually feed the world?" Jenny said as she heard the song from a nearby store. The man beside her turned to look at her but she didn't look at him.

"I choose to believe that many people open their hearts and give during this time," he said. Jenny couldn't help but give a small smile.

"I used to believe that," she told him. "Everything has changed though, since September 11."

"That it has," the man said. "Mark Michaels," he said a few seconds later, extending his hand to Jenny who took it out of courtesy.

"Jenny Shepard," she told him.

"So are you coming or going?" He asked.

"Both," she told him, he chuckled.

"I'm heading to Pennsylvania," he said she said nothing to it. "Come with me," he told her. She said nothing to that either. "You need to be reminded of life's beauty, come with me to Pennsylvania," he told her. She turned to look at him asking him if he really wanted her to come and he gave her a nod.

"Come to Pennsylvania with me," he told her, grabbing her hand. She gave him a nod after a few moments of silence. She didn't truly understand why she was trusting a complete stranger but something in his hazel eyes told her he wasn't evil. She didn't know it then though the joy and pain he would cause her.

**Pennsylvania**

"How are you doing?" He asked later that night. Jenny turned away from the fire pit before her to see him, giving him a small smile.

"Simply having a wonderful Christmas time," she told him. He chuckled as he heard the end Paul McCartney _– Wonderful Christmas Time_ song be played in the background of his grandparents' home.

"Zio, Zio," a little girl shouted as she came out of the house in her green and red dress, hair full of brown curls and a huge smile on her face. Behind her ran a boy, same height but with short red hair and a black suit with a red and green vest.

"Mio canzone, venire, venire," she shouted grabbing Mark's hand and pulling him into the house. Jenny laughed but quickly sobered up when the little boy grabbed her hand.

"You too, Jenny, you come and dance like the song says," the little boy said. Jenny shook her head but let herself be pulled as she noticed Francis turned to look at her with laughter.

"Everyone rocks around the Christmas tree, Jenny, no one is excuse," he told her. She laughs as she entered the house and saw other adults and children dancing around their huge tree. She had wondered why their tree was in the center of their living room but she now understood.

A few hours later the house had become quieter, Christmas songs were still being played but was now low to smooth the children who were fallen asleep in different places in the house. Midnight had come and gone and presents had been opened. It had brought joy to Jenny's heart to see the children's faces and feel the love in the room, not realizing that she had miss both very much in her time away.

"Thank you for inviting me," Jenny whispered to Mark who sat beside her in the couch, his niece in his lap asleep. Mark turned to look at Jenny and gave her a smile, not being able to stop himself and wish for a sight before him one day, a little red head boy in her lap, her hand smoothing him to sleep, the little boy that was both of theirs.

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**Thank you to that one reviewer who asked for more, it didn't matter how I added more but to add more, so here it thank you for the second review who encouraged my writing. I hope you enjoy and review if you have a few seconds.**

**Paul McCartney - Wonderful Christmas Time**

**Band Aid (1984) - Do they know its Christmas **

**Brenda Lee - Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree**


	3. Chapter 3

**I do not own NCIS only an over active imagination. A few songs inspired this chapter, 'Heaven was needing a hero' by Jo Dee Messina, 'Not a day goes by' by Lonestar, 'Arlington' by Trace Adkins and 'Lay me down' by Tim McGraw. You may not notice them unless you know them by heart. These songs will lead to future chapters as well.**

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**Chapter 3 Heaven was needing a hero**

"Jenny," Jenny heard her mother in law whispered to her. She sat in her mother in law's guess room. "Heaven was needing a hero."

"But he was mine," she said tears falling down her face, begging for someone to understand. He had saved her. He had seen her and gone up to her, changing her life.

"He left you someone, Jennifer, someone you could hold and love and be a hero to." Her mother in law told her but she simply shook her head, not wanting to think of the little boy who would grow up without his father. The little boy who laid sleeping peacefully in his crib nearby, not knowing the life he would now live.

"I miss him," she whispered. Tears falling down her face as she was reminded once more that her husband was gone.

"I do too, Jenny, I do too." But Jenny didn't truly believe her.

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**\- A few days later**

"Jenny," she heard behind her. She slowly turned around, her son of only two months in her arms. Jenny said nothing as tears fell down her face and she let the man in front of her pull her into his chest.

"I can't do this right now, Tom, it hurts so much." Jenny sobbed.

"Take all the time you need," he whispered into her ear. "I'm here if you need me, if you need us." Jenny said nothing at her boss as she let herself be hugged for a little while.

"Jenny, I can-" her sister in law started to say, her arms raised towards her but at Jenny's face and eyes of plea, she stopped, lowering her arms to her side. The little boy in her arms was the only thing holding her together right now. Knowing that she needed to be strong for her little boy who was keeping her grounded. Jenny moved towards the back porch and sat in the rocking chair, Mark had bought it for her in December but they hadn't shipped it to their place yet. She let tears fall down her face as she looked down at her sleeping boy. A sleeping boy that would never know his father.

Mark had been ecstatic with them expecting only months after their wedding. She had been hesitant, wishing to have had more time with only him and her but Mark soon convinced her that life was never timed and never on schedule and one must simply roll with the changes. She knew he would tell her this now, to roll with the changes but how could she.

Two years, she had only had him for two years before he was taken away from her. If she had known the last time was the last time she would see him, she would have held him and never let go.

"Jennifer," came a whisper from beside her. She looked up to see into deep blue eyes but the eyes before her were not those she had known so well years earlier. "Nothing makes sense right now and maybe it never will," he said seating in front of her. "But we're here, I'm here, all you have to say is 'help' or knock at my door, I'm here." Jenny looked down at her son.

"What am I going to tell him?"

"The same thing you tell yourself now, heaven needed him more."

"But I need him, Jackson, I need him, we need him." Jenny told him, looking at him with desperation in her eyes.

"He was brave, Jennifer, he stood up when others didn't and he saved so many lives."

"But he killed mine," she said. Jackson shook his head, putting both his hands on either side of her face, making her look at him.

"Don't Jennifer, don't ever say that. He saved you; remember two years ago, coming into this house having no life, no hope but at the end of that night… you had that spark again. You had that faith and hope again."

"I miss him," Jenny whispered. "I don't know if I can do this without him."

"You'll have too," Jackson told her. "You'll have to because before he left, he gave you this beautiful gift, a part of him you will always have of him. You can't give up, Jennifer, don't give up." Jenny said nothing as Jackson pulled her into his chest and she pulled her son into hers.

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**\- A few hours later **

"On behalf of the President of the United States, the Commander of the Marine Corps, and a grateful nation, please accept this flag as a symbol of our appreciation for your loved one's service to Country and Corps. God bless you and this family, and God bless the United States of America."

Jenny took the triangle flag offered to her and held it against her and her son who was still sleeping. Moments later the gunshots started and she broke down, sobbing, and bringing her son closer to her as she let go. Small earmuffs protected him from the sound and she wished someone would protect her from it too.

Men and women came by, giving her their condolences but she didn't hear them. Her mother in law came by asking her for the boy but Jenny shook her head. They let her be, seating on the chair in front of the coffin. The people soon left, the rainy weather making the ceremony more difficult, the sky's letting everyone know that even they weren't happy with what had happened.

"Jennifer," someone whispered in front of her. "Mark was going to introduce us last Christmas and I was supposed to be in the wedding too but my work kept me away," the man said kneeing in front of her. "I just wanted to let you know that you have so many people behind you, fighting for you, with you if you let us. You're not alone, you're never alone. Mark made sure of that." Jenny said nothing as the man left.

It was half an hour later when she heard her name, "Jennifer," Jackson whispered seating beside her. "They'll keep guard over him," he told her moving his head to the soldiers that stood guard on the head of the casket. She had stopped crying a while ago, her mind going through all the memories of the past two years.

"He didn't sleep," she whispered to him. "The first night when we had our son home, he didn't sleep. He kept watch all night and into the morning until I woke up and after my shower." Jackson said nothing as he looked down at her son in her arms still asleep, the American flag folded in a triangle over him.

"You know… this was where he wanted to be buried; we just hoped it would be decades after he retired in Stillwater." She said looking around the cemetery full of white marble tombstones. "My father never made it into this land, they titled him a traitor to this country but I didn't and don't believe that. I'm going to head back to work in a couple of months and I'm going to do what I planned to do so long ago, prove my father's innocence."

"Just do me a favor, Jennifer," Jackson told her as she noticed that determination in her eyes, the spark that he once saw in them no longer there, "don't forget about your son. Don't forget that you have a family now, not only Mark's but also Stillwater, we're here for you Jennifer, I am here for you." Jenny looked over to him and looked into his eyes, and she hoped to trust him one day as much as she had trusted his son once.

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**I didn't mean to head this direction with this story but something told me to do so and so I did. I do want to thank one person who reviewed, you told me to continue it, and it didn't matter how, so I let my mind go. I hope you aren't too disappointed in the way I did continued it. There will be time skip of course to push the story along but with memories being remembered as well.**

'**Heaven was needing a hero' by Jo Dee Messina **

'**Arlington' by Trace Adkins**

'**Not a day goes by' by Lonestar **

'**Lay me down' by Tim McGraw**


	4. Chapter 4

**I do not own NCIS only an over active imagination. 'Heaven was needing a hero' by Jo Dee Messina continued to inspire this chapter. The time between last chapter and this one will be talked about and remembered through the chapters from this point forward.**

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**Chapter 4**

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**Many years later**

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"Why are we here?" Gibbs asked. She was standing behind her desk, her back to them.

"I've been told that it was about time for the agency to know the truth."

"What truth?" Gibbs asked, not liking the sound of her voice. She turned around and looked at all of them.

"I have a soon to be four year old boy, whose birthday is tomorrow. I would like for all of you to come by and meet him as he might find himself here some days." All four agents were shock and all of them were asking themselves the same question, 'where was the father?'

"And your husband, will we finally meet your husband?" Gibbs asked not being able to help himself and glance at her left hand where a very nice gold wedding band was located in her ring finger. When he had first seen her a few months ago, flashes of Paris had gone through his mind but all of those had come to a stop when she moved her hair behind her ear and made it known she was already taken. Gibbs tried and hoped he had hidden his disappointment but he had a feeling she had known, she had almost always known. However, a kid made this more… complicated. A kid meant that they were establish, her and her husband. They had married and had loved each other enough to have had a kid.

Jen took a deep breath stopping herself from looking down at her left hand where she notice Jethro's eyes glance at. She remembered their first meeting months ago after almost eight years of her walking away with only a 'Dear John' letter to explain her departure. She had purposely 'moved' some hair behind her left ear that day, showing her left hand and her wedding ring to him. The ring Mark had place on that finger almost five years ago. Six years since they first met… She hadn't been ready to see Jethro then but it was something she had to do in her new job and with that, the explanation to why they wouldn't meet her husband.

"Mark…" she breathe out and took a deep breath, "Mark was killed in 2004," she said in a whispered but loud enough for all of them to hear. She looked down at the photo on her desk of her son, letting the agents composed themselves, the news being more shock than her first, she imagined. "Zander, my son, might ask about him, all you need to do is point to a picture of him," she said looking at them now.

"I will be taking leave in December for a week to visit family; I hope you won't mind in being acting Director, Agent Gibbs." He shook his head, not being able to say anything and she gave a nod. "The get together/birthday party starts at 2, after his afternoon nap, don't be offended by his grumpiness. I'll be e-mailing different groups to come by as well but because you are my MCR Team-"

"We protect you and your family," Ziva interrupted her. She shook her head.

"It's you I will always trust with my son," she told her and looked at the other agents, Tony, Tim and finally Gibbs.

"We will," they all promise. She gave them a nod and they started to leave but Tim stopped before exiting, clearing his throat.

"Does your son like something in particular?"

"You don't have to worry about gifts," Jen told them.

"We can get one as a team, we don't want to spoil him," Tim teased. Jen smiled at him.

"He has enough grandfathers for that," she told him. "He loves anything having to do with transportation right now, cars, trains, buses and planes, anything that goes." Tim gave a nod and left her office, catching up with the rest of the team who had stopped outside the office.

"I'm buying him a red corvette," Tony announced to the team as they headed down the stairs.

"I was thinking a helicopter," Tim told him.

"You buy him what you want; I'm going to buy him a red corvette."

"I'll come with you Tim to buy a helicopter, I like the idea," Ziva told him. Gibbs let them speak as he grabbed his coat and went for coffee, needing to digest everything he had just learned. Jenny- Jen, which is what she asked to be called now, didn't have a husband to go home to. No, she had a son but no husband, no father. He needed to think a lot about what he had just learned.

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**A few days later**

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"I'll get that," Naomi said when the doorbell rang in the Shepard residence.

"I'll get that," Jen said with a chuckled when she heard her boy cry out for her from the baby monitor in front of her.

"Mummmmm," Jackson laughed from where he sat on the chair in the kitchen beside her.

"He just woke up, didn't he?" Gibbs asked when Naomi answered the door. He and the rest of the team saw Jen climbing the stairs, a little boy dragging a white and green blanket behind him, a little blue, red and white stuff bear under his other arm at the top of the landing.

"Please come in," Naomi said with a nod to his question. "The party is in the back deck," she said guiding the team down the hallway. Gibbs stayed in the hallway, wanting to see the scene above him.

"Hi, my name Jackson," Gibbs heard his father introduced himself in the kitchen. That had also been a shocker, seeing his father. He didn't know how but his father knew Jen very well, he had visited a week after she had taken the position as Director and had scared him. His first thought was something horrible had happened but when Jackson glanced at him and then turned to greet Jen… he had been confused. Jackson had visited him that night and told him he knew Jen through her husband. He had accepted that answer and let it go but maybe he should have done more digging.

"Mum," the little boy cried again raising his hands to Jen who smiled down at him, going over the railing that stood between them and picking him up.

"Happy birthday, sunshine," he heard Jen say as he turned to head towards the back deck.

"Mum, want dad," he also heard, his steps stopping at the words and his head moving towards the stairs. Gibbs watched Jen whole body freeze.

"I do too," she whispered to him.

"Want dad here," the little boy cried out.

"He can't, baby," Jen said, her mind agreeing with his previous want. "He's in heaven remember, he's taking care of other children and little kids."

"I want dad," he cried, hitting Jen's face. Jen quickly moved his hands down and pulled him under her chin.

"I do too, sunshine, I do too," she whispered to him as she moved towards his nursery. Gibbs being Gibbs followed them, his mind telling him maybe he could help somehow and his heart telling him he needed to be there for Jenny.

"_Baby, heaven was needing a hero," _he heard Jen sing to her crying son. "_Somebody just like your dad, brave enough to protect every single one,_ a_nd now watching over you."_

Gibbs could only stay a few more verses before he could no longer stay and turned around heading back down the stairs. He's father waited for him at the bottom and pointed at the living room. Gibbs complied.

"How long were they together?" Gibbs asked needing to know how long did she wait before falling in love with someone else again.

"He's been gone longer than they were together," Jackson told him.

"How?" Gibbs asked after he cleared his throat, noticing different pictures around the room.

"He saved twenty men," Jackson told him. Gibbs gave a nod not knowing if he wanted to know any more. "You can teach her so much, Leroy."

"No, she can teach me," Gibbs told him, looking at the different pictures on the tables and walls, of her and her husband, of her husband, her and their baby son, and finally of only her and her son.

"She accepted help, Leroy, and she has her son which can be difficult but also a blessing."

"She's strong," Gibbs whispered looking at one picture in particular.

Jen was lying down and her son who looked a few months old lay beside her. Both were asleep and looked peaceful. She wore jeans, a green blouse under her blue jacket that seemed a little too big but was perfect as her son laid in it, the jacket surrounding him. In the picture, his green cap could be seen covering his head and some of his light green shirt could be seen too. Both of Jen's arms surrounded him as they lay together on their sides. The sun brought out her red hair and made it shine.

"That's my favorite picture," he heard behind him. He turned around to see Jen leaning against the living room doorway, her son on her side, his head on her shoulder. Her son had her green eyes, her red hair, but not the pain she held in them. "Your dad took it without my knowing," she said moving towards the picture, he stepped aside.

"Me," the little boy in her arms said pointing at the picture, "Mum, me, and dad." Gibbs glanced at the picture again and noticed the white marble tomb stone now, behind Jen's laying form.

"My first mother's day," Jen said putting back the frame on the bookcase. "Your dad is as sneaky if not more so that you were-are," she said turning away from the picture and towards him.

"Zander, I would like you to meet Jethro Gibbs," Jen said to her son looking from him to Gibbs.

"Gibbs," the little boy shouted. "Grandpa Gibbs'," he said.

"Yes, Grandpa Jackson's son," Jen told him. Gibbs looked at them with a smile, if this was the way to get to the little boy's heart, he would take it.

"Hi buddy," he said.

"Jethro, I would like you to meet my son and the birthday boy, Zander," Jen introduced them. Both shook each other's hand.

"I brought you something," Gibbs said moving to the coffee table where he had laid his present when he had first entered the room. Jen shook her head but followed him; Zander clapped his little hands with a smile in his face. "You can use it in the tub with water too," he said putting the present in front of him as Jen continued to carry him.

"Boat," Zander shouted when he got the wrapper off the present. His huge smiled showed Gibbs that he had enjoyed the present. "Mum boat, water, boat, bath, water." He turned to her with a smile and with three fingers over his chin moved them forward. Jen gave a nod and imitated the sign as well, adding a one handed bath and boat sign.

"Oh, so now you like the water, who was it who didn't want to take a bath last night," Jen teased him signing some of the words. Zander said nothing but smiled as he started to move the boat around. "What do you say?"

"Jet-o," Zander shouted, one hand creating the 'jet' sign and adding an 'o' after. "Jet-o" he shouted again his hands extending to Gibbs, his boat in one of them. Jen chuckled, shaking her head.

"No, you say 'thank you', Zander," she said signing 'thank you'.

"Jet-o, Jet-o," he shouted, as he bounce, his arms still extended to Gibbs who smiled and put the wrapping paper on the table and grabbed him. "Boat, boat, boat," he said moving his boat back and forth, after Gibbs had grabbed him, his other hand around Gibbs shoulder. Jen shook her head, grabbing the wrapping paper and heading towards the kitchen.

"Congratulations Jethro, you've made a friend for life," Jen said over her shoulder as she moved to the kitchen. Gibbs followed gladly with Zander in his arms, his new boat in his hand.

"Here's the birthday boy," Jackson said as he watched Jennifer enter the back deck, Gibbs behind her with Zander.

"Grampa Jack, Grampa Gibbs, Jet-o boat," Zander shouted out to him when he saw him.

"Jethro gave me a boat," Jen repeated after him. Zander looked over to her and gave a nod.

"Jet-o gave me boat," he said.

"A boat," Jen repeated.

"A boat," he said, she gave a nod and a huge smile.

"Great job," she said, moving over to the snacks and getting him some fruit.

"A boat, you don't have that yet, do you?" Jackson asked, getting a head shake from Zander.

"Guys, come over," Jen said moving towards Zander again who extended his hands right away, giving Gibbs the boat as Jen took him, both laughing.

"Food," Gibbs said, "trading food for a boat." Jen said nothing.

"Zander, I'll like you to meet the team, Ziva, Tim, and Tony," Jen said putting the bowl of fruits down and moving Zander's face to see the team.

"Ziva this is Zander," Jen said. Ziva stepped forward and shook Zander's hand.

"Shalom Zander," she said.

"Shalom Ziva," he said. "Mom, z and z," he said.

"Yes, both of you have a 'z' for your first letter of your name," she told him. "This is Tony."

"Hello buddy," he said giving Zander his hand to shake which he did.

"And this is Tim," she introduce the last member of the team.

"Tim," Zander shouted. "Tiny Tim," he shouted again. Jen chuckled but Tony let out a huge laugh about to make fun of Tim but stopped at Jen's next words.

"Don't worry Tim, this just means you're automatically his friend," she told him.

"Hi Zander," he said.

"Tim, Jet-o got me a boat," he said, signing his sentences as he spoke and then extended his hands to Tim who gladly stepped forward and grabbed him, placing him on his side.

"Would you mind letting him eat while you have him?" Jen asked. Tim shook his head, grabbing the outstretched bowl and moving to a chair nearby, all the time Zander talking up a storm, at times not in English.

"He knows French?" Gibbs asked Jen after the team and Zander had moved away.

"A little," she said moving over to the snack table again, grabbing herself something to eat. "I was abroad for a while, doing ops in Egypt and Morocco, Zander would stay with Naomi or another agent for that while."

"And he picked up on it?" Jen gave a nod. "He seems to pick up on many things."

"He does," Jen said looking at him. "At times I speak in French for the fun of it and he repeats and at others answers."

"Have you had him tested?" Gibbs asked.

"She won't do so," Jackson said behind them. Jen shook her head.

"I know he's gifted," she told them, looking over to where he was at. "His father was gifted," she said with a sad smile.

"I wouldn't say that," Jackson teased, "you're mighty intelligent too." Jen shook her head.

"I know his gifted, it's why he gets a babysitter that teaches sign language and another that teaches him about his current focus."

"Which is transportation right now," Gibbs finished for her.

"Yes," she said.

"What was his last focus?" Gibbs asked out of curiosity.

"The color green, yellow and red," she said shaking her head. "That's how he transition from colors to transportation, red to fire truck." Gibbs gave a nod, making sense to him.

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**A few hours later**

* * *

"You didn't have to stay but Zander appreciated it," Jen told Gibbs who was helping her put away some last dishes from the dishwasher. Zander having been put to bed about half an hour ago.

"He's a great kid," Gibbs told her, "you're doing a great job, Jen." Jen froze for a second before continuing her task of putting away the food.

"He _is_ a great kid," she told him.

"How was he like?" Gibbs asked, not wanting to know but knowing Jen needed to talk. "Mark." Jen smiled as she zipped the bag in her hands.

"He was always smiling, he was part Italian and he loved to sing and dance," she said not looking at him but off at a distance. "Just like Zander," she whispered.

"If I remember correctly you were all those things, except Italian," Gibbs told her. Jen looked down at the bag in her hands and gave a nod.

"I was happy for the little while I had with him," she whispered, wiping away a tear from her eye. "I just wish Zander would have had more time with him."

"He'll never be alone," Gibbs told her. "You won't let him forget Mark and his family will never let him forget him." Jen moved to the refrigerator and put away the last things.

"But the day is going to come when Mark's memories won't be enough for him and he'll want a real dad." Gibbs said nothing to that, knowing that she was right; the day will come when Zander will need a father.

* * *

**Review if you have a quick second.**


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